Mixed Influences Of Tarot

Rosanne

In trying to describe the influences depicted in Tarot- Astrology, Christianity, Greek and Roman antiquity, Humanism, Platonism, Alchemy, Dante, Medieval plays, playing cards etc etc....this list is long.

I looked for some edifice, from the same era; That show the same hodgepodge of ideas.

I saw one in Rimini Italy.

I am Sigismondo Malatesta, son of Pandolfo, King of Traitors, a plague to both God and Man, condemned to the flames by decree of the Holy Senate
An Inscription on a dummy burned in Rome by Pope Pius 11 April27, 1462.

This art loving 15th century general built Tempio Malatestiano on the site of the Cathedral of San Francesco, by firstly remodeling the Cathedral in 1447, and by 1450 had hired Leon Battista Alberti to redesign both inside and out.
Although not as wealthy as the Medici in Florence- Sigismondo was a patron of the Arts and was considered a erudite scholar of philosophy, Latin, Greek, ancient world studies. He was much maligned by the Church because he changed sides in a war; the Church called Malatesta's Temple Pagan, even though the Church was given dispensation to have a chapel of the Zodiac and a Chapel of the Angels- all which by calling it a Temple rather than a Church was granted.
Inside are classical deities such as Diana and Chariot, sun and Moon, Saturn holding his scythe, a nude Venus, The virtues, sybils and prohets, allegorical figures of the liberal arts, satyrs and baccantes, cupids and angels signs of the Zodiac, putti playing music, monograms of himself and his mistress, roses and elephants is just a sampling.

Pope Pius gave his dispensations for all these things in the Temple- but complained later when he considered Malatesta a traitor that
"it seemed less a Temple of Christians than one of heathen devil worshipers."

He became unemployed because of the Treaty of Lodi in 1454, which had pledged the major powers of Italy to peace. He ran out of money. The pope excommunicated him in 1462.
Malatesta was supposed to have filled the Holy Water font with ink- so when the Pope came into Church he splattered himself with an ink blessing.

I like this man...... he also asked of Bianca Sforza to have a deck of cards.
He was married to Francesco Sforza's daughter Polissena who apparently likely died of the Plague- not by strangling as Pius put about.

The building was damaged in the WW2 and I will try and find some internal photos to show you.

~Rosanne
 

Bernice

Hmm..... could it be that a certain person assembled a medley of these painted subjects, during the planning period of the Temple, and used them to create a 22 card trionfi deck? Love the possibilites :), not sure about the dates.

Small aside: At the first link. "Basino da Parma was a genius, the author of astrological symbols". Did he contribute to the astro-glyphs?


Bee :)
 

Rosanne

I think Basinio Basini is important somehow- he was a humanist and poet.
I can find little about him.
~Rosanne